Combination Locking Device, Apparatus and Method

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a combination-locking device comprising a locking body, a locking mechanism, and plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations substantially disposed on a portion of a plurality of human-interactive rotatable wheels. The plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is operable to be arranged by a user in an at least one unique combination or sequence in order to facilitate the detachment of the locking mechanism from the locking body in an at least one location. The unique sequence or combination of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations operable to facilitate separation of the locking mechanism from the locking body in the at least one location may be user-inputted via rotation of the plurality of rotatable wheels, or user-inputted via an electronics device comprising a suitable user-interfacing means substantially coupled to the combination locking device.

1 . A combination-locking apparatus comprising:
 a body;   a locking mechanism coupled to the body;   a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to the locking mechanism and to the body;   a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations;   wherein each of the wheels is rotatable relative to the body between a locked position wherein the locking mechanism is locked relative to the respective wheel, and an unlocked position wherein the locking mechanism is unlocked relative to the respective wheel;   wherein each wheel comprises a first perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation disposed upon at least a portion of the wheel's surface, and a second perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation disposed upon at least a portion of the wheel's surface; wherein the first entertainment media character picture representation and the second entertainment media character picture representation are spaced at an arbitrary relative distance; and   wherein the first perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation disposed upon at least the portion of the wheel's surface has a surface area at least greater than one two-hundredth of the wheel's total surface and further wherein the first perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation is not directly connected to the body; and   wherein an at least a portion of the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations disposed upon at least a portion of the plurality of wheels are configured to display a first row of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations relative to the body.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations are derived from a single entertainment media franchise. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations are derived from a plurality of entertainment media franchises. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each wheel is adapted to display only one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations at any particular instance in time. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each wheel is adapted to display a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations at any particular instance in time. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the total number of wheels is greater than four. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the total number of wheels is less than four. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the total number of wheels is equal to four. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a physical structure substantially representative of a perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation. 
     
     
         10 . A combination-locking apparatus comprising:
 a body;   a locking mechanism coupled to the body;   an electronics device comprising a user-interfacing means;   wherein the electronics device is coupled to the locking mechanism;   wherein the electronics device is operable to, via the user-interfacing means, present a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations; and   wherein each of the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is operable to occupy an interactive area of the user-interfacing means that is greater than one two-hundredth of the total interactive area of the user-interfacing means; and   wherein the electronics device is operable to decouple the locking mechanism from the body in an at least one location, wherein the electronics device registers a particular sequence of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the electronics device may include a smartphone, a tablet, a portable communications device, an audio input and output device, a motion sensor input and output device. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the user-interfacing means comprises a screen for displaying to a human user a plurality of human-interactive perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the user-interfacing means comprises a human-interactive audio input and output system for relaying to a human user a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a processor; 
 a non-transient computer storage medium coupled to the electronics device and operable to store the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations, including an at least one unique sequence or combination of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations, wherein the unique sequence is required to be inputted via the user-interfacing means and registered by the processor in order to decouple the locking mechanism from the body in the at least one location; 
 wherein the processor is coupled to the electronics device, wherein the processor is operable to facilitate decoupling of the locking mechanism from the locking body in the at least one location, wherein the processor compares a first user-inputted or user-selected sequence or combination of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations via the user-interfacing means with a second unique sequence or combination of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation previously stored in the non-transient computer storage medium, and the results of the comparison returns an exact match and; 
 wherein the user-interfacing means is operable to enable a user to select or input a unique sequence or combination of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations, wherein the unique sequence is required to be inputted via the user-interfacing means and registered by the processor in order to decouple the unlocking mechanism from the body in the at least one location. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or central processing unit. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing an entertainment media character picture representation combination locking device, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations to be displayed by the locking device;   disposing a plurality of rotatable wheels at least partially within the locking device;   disposing an at least one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation on an at least a portion of the surface of an at least one rotatable wheel such that the at least one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation occupies a surface area at least greater than one two-hundredth of the surface area of the at least one rotatable wheel, and further disposing the at least one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation on the at least the portion of the surface of the at least one rotatable wheel such that the at least one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation does not directly connect with a main housing; and   arranging the plurality of rotatable wheels in a first position wherein in the first position an at least one of the plurality of rotatable wheels displays an at least one perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the total number of rotatable wheels is greater than four. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the total number of rotatable wheels is less than four. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the total number of rotatable wheels is equal to four. 
     
     
         20 . A shackle-based combination locking device, the device comprising:
 a body attached to a shackle in an at least one location;   a plurality of wheels, each wheel comprising a notch;   a bar coupled to the plurality of wheels, such that at particular instances in time the bar is inserted into all notches simultaneously, the action of which will allow the locking device to be decoupled from an at least one object it was previously serving its function of locking;   a human-interactive dial comprising a plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations disposed upon an at least a portion of the dial's surface such that each of the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation s occupies a surface area at least greater than one two-hundredth of the dial's surface and further wherein each of the perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation is not directly connected to the shackle;   a spindle coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of wheels; and   wherein the plurality of wheels, the plurality of notches, the bar coupled to the plurality of wheels, the dial, the spindle, and the shackle attached to the body in the at least one location, in combination, comprises a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the body.   
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is from a single entertainment media franchise. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is from a plurality of entertainment media franchises. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is greater than seven. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is less than seven. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representations is equal to seven. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the body has a physical structure substantially representative of a perceptibly identifiable entertainment media character picture representation.